During the bloody conflict of the post-Yugoslav wars, only one newly independent country of the former Yugoslavia remained at peace. In a recent Project Syndicate essay, Christopher Hill ’74, praises Kiro Gligorov, Macedonia’s former president, for avoiding warfare despite the turbulent environment. Gligorov survived an assassination attempt in 1995 to die Jan 1, 2012 at the age of 94.

Hill, currently dean of the Korbel School of International Studies at University of Denver, was U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and ambassador to Iraq, South Korea, Macedonia and Poland. He was also special envoy for Kosovo, a negotiator of the Dayton Peace Accords, and chief U.S. negotiator with North Korea from 2005-2009.